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'We're trying to outrun the South': Falcons claim two-of-three straight divisional games with overtime win vs. Buccaneers

The Falcons lead the NFC South standings after five weeks of play. 

ATLANTA — If the Falcons didn't pull out a stunning 36-30 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday night the vibe would be totally different, safety Jessie Bates III said in the postgame locker room.

The emotions would still be high, but Kirk Cousins wouldn't be hitting the "Swag Surfin'" celebration with Falcons fans. Drake London wouldn't feel like he "just showered with pads on" after a locker room celebration that featured a dousing of water sprays.

And — most importantly — the Falcons wouldn't be sitting at the top of the NFC South after Week 5, overtaking the Buccaneers' place.

"It's huge," Falcons safety Justin Simmons said. "You don't want to let these games get away from you because down the road, things get so tight in the race to the playoffs. ... These are huge for us early on. Confidence builders, right?

"This team going into tight games, it's not like, 'I hope we win, I hope we win.' It's like we won these before, and we know someone's gonna make a play. It's just who's gonna do it."

Cousins made more than just a play, he made 509 passing yards worth of plays. After the Falcons didn't score an offensive touchdown in their last outing, Cousins threw four touchdowns to three different receivers. The final one was a 45-yarder to wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge to cap off a walk-off win.

It's moments like this that build character and help the Falcons control their own destiny. As long as they win the division, they've got a guaranteed way into postseason play.

The Falcons began a stretch of three straight divisional games when they entered Week 4. They got a 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, and four days later beat the Buccaneers on Thursday night. Both wins came down to the final plays of the game, with a game-winning field goal in the first win and a touchdown in overtime to seal the win in the second.

"We're trying to outrun the South and right now we got two down," London said. "(We'll) rest up this week and then we get to it in Carolina."

Like London alluded to, the Falcons will have some time before facing Carolina in Week 6. After a short week ahead of the Bucs matchup, they'll have 10 days before meeting the Panthers. It will give them time to celebrate, time to cool off and time to figure out how to improve to become 3-0 in the division.

"We should enjoy it, but also reflect on what we can get better at," Bates said. "And just continue to build and just continue to get better as a team. So, come December, January we're ready to keep rolling."

Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during Week 5, presented by Grady.

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